The View-Master, a handheld stereoscope that allows for the viewing of three-dimensional photographs by clicking through reels, was introduced at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. William Gruber invented the View-Master system in conjunction with Harold Graves, the president of Sawyer’s Photographic Services. They capitalized on their license with The Walt Disney Studios to produce popular 3D reels and packets devoted to Disney’s animated characters, live-action feature films and television shows, and the newly opened Disneyland.
Joe Liptak, the creator of the majority of Disney’s View-Master 3D story sets for over 45 years, is revered for his exceptional artistry. The Walt Disney Studios provided Liptak with copies of production and story art, allowing him to maintain character integrity. Liptak had the ability to capture the characters’ on-model look, and he took great pride in never having any of his sculptures returned for revisions. Due to the meticulous care put into the sculpting of these delightful characters, Walt Disney’s story of The Jungle Book became a View-Master favorite.
